Numerous Patents have issued for apparatus which is useful in restraining bags open and in place so that they can be filled easily. Of interest, for example, is a recent Patent to McEniry, No. 4,669,690. Taught in McEniry is an apparatus which serves to suspend bags of varying sizes from a hoop. The bags, which are at their open end pulled up and over the inner side of the hoop and then down over the outer side of the hoop, are secured to the hoop by way of independent clips. The hoop attaches to a plate which in turn is attached to a stable support such as a cabinet door. The McEniry invention, however does not allow quick removal of bags per se by simple one step user action, nor does the McEniry invention provide for attachment to two wheel transport units. A Patent to Schieffler, No. 1,713,095, on the other hand, teaches a polygon shaped bag holding apparatus which attaches, firmly, to a two wheel transport unit. The Schieffler invention also provides more convenient means for securing a bag to a holding member in the form of eccentrically mounted clamps. In use a bag is pulled up and over the inner side of a holding member and then down between the eccentrically mounted clamp and the outer side of the holding member. As the held bag is filled the weight of the material entered causes a tendency for the bag to pull free of the holding member, but the eccentrically mounted clamps convert that tendency to a tighter grip between the eccentrically mounted clamps and the holding member, between which, as described, is the bag. The Schieffler invention also provides for adjustment of the vertical position of the holding member on the two wheel transport unit. While the benefit of the bag restraining means in Schieffler is noted, it is also noted that the eccentrically mounted clamps operate independent of one another, much as do the independent clips of the McEniry invention. It is not possible to quickly, in a one step motion, release held bags from all of the clamps. One must operate each clamp individually, thereby causing uneven bag release. The result is that bags tend to tear when released because restraining force is transferred to fewer points prior to total release. A Patent to Sargent, No. 1,019,366 teaches an invention which strives to overcomes this drawback, and which also makes use of eccentrically mounted clamps to secure bags. The eccentrically mounted clamps, (called moveable jaws), however, are mounted so that rather than pulling the open end of a bag up and over the inner side of a holding member prior to inserting it between the outer side of the holding member and an eccentrically mounted clamp, the bag is simply pulled up between the inner side of a fixed jaw and a moveable jaw. The fixed jaw is the equivalent to the holding member in Schieffler and the moveable jaw is the equivalent of the eccentrically mounted clamp therein. The tendency of a bag to pull straight down and away from the apparatus when weight is placed therein is converted to tighter gripping by the action of the mechanism in what might be termed an inverted form of the action of the apparatus described in the Schieffler invention. The Sargent invention includes means for operating the two clamps on each side of the bag holding apparatus simultaneously by an easy user motion. This facilitates the release of a filled bag without the bag tearing. However, the Sargent invention does not provide the force distributing benefit found in the McEniry and Schieffler inventions which results from the pulling the bag up and over the inner side of a bag holding member prior to clipping or clamping the bag at specific points to restrain and hold the bag.
While the Sargent invention provides benefits not found in Schieffler or McEniry, and vice versa, all the Patents so far discussed teach the holding of bags by forces presented at points on bags rather than applying force along a locus on a bag. While the McEniry and Schieffler inventions are less affected than the Sargent invention in this regard, all three inventions potentially cause mounted bags, such as plastic garbage bags, to tear at the point of restraint when any significant weight is placed therein. The tears occur where the force is concentrated by the use of clips, eccentrically mounted clamps or moveable jaws.
A Patent to Kleiser, No. 2,788,947 teaches an invention which provides for mounting a bag between an inner and outer quadralateral frame which frame distributes the bag holding restraining force along a locus on the bag near its open top edge. The invention in Kleiser also provides means for easily releasing a held bag. Kleiser, however, as is the case with the Sargent invention, does not efficiently provide for use with bags of greatly differing sizes by allowing the bag holding frame to vary with bag size.
As alluded to earlier, the Schieffler invention provides for attachment to a two wheel transport unit in a firm way. That is, it is not easy to remove the Schieffler apparatus from the two wheel transport unit when its use for other than a bag holder is desired. The McEniry invention provides for easy removal of the bag restraining apparatus taught therein, but no provision for use on a two wheel transport device was taught. A Patent to Preisinger, No. 4,124,185, teaches a bag restraining invention for use on a two wheel transport unit, and which can be easily attached to and removed from the two wheel transport unit when use of the two wheel transport unit for other purposes is desired. The Preisinger invention, however, teaches a very inconvenient means for securing a bag to a restraining mechanism. The means is a cord, which cord is simply tied around the top edge of a bag which has been pulled up and over the inner side of a holding bracket and then down over the outer side of said holding bracket.
One approach to providing for easy two wheel transport unit coversion between use as a bag retainer and as a material transport unit is taught in a Patent to Wilson, No. 3,041,026. In that Patent a two wheel transport unit is taught which provides arms which protrude from the two wheel transport unit's framework and which are used as a bag restraining means. The protruding arms are pivotally attached to the two wheel transport unit and can be rotated so that they no longer protrude when it is desired to use the two wheel transport unit as a material transport unit. The Wilson invention, however, does not provide for easy removal of the arms, the presence of which arms is potentially akward when the two wheel transport unit is used for material transport. As well, the attachment means for bags in Wilson comprise prongs on the arms upon which a bag is impaled. Such a means is not compatible for use with common plastic bags, and other easily torn bags.
From the above summary of relevant prior Patents it can be concluded that many inventors have received Patents for bag restraining apparatus. The many Patents individually teach many elements which provide users of the inventions a wide variety of benefits. However, no Patent of which the Inventor herein is aware provides at once for:
(1) Easy installation of the apparatus to any stable support, which support can be a two wheel transport unit.
(2) Easy adjustment of the vertical location where the apparatus mounts on a two wheel transport unit.
(3) Quick attachment to, and removal of elements which protrude from, a two wheel transport unit so said unit can be quickly converted from a configuration for use as a bag restrainer to a configuration for use as a material transport unit.
(4) Easy adjustment for use with varying sized bags.
(5) Easy mounting of bags in a system which utilizes rotating bag restraining means, and which can include bag gripping force controlling and distributing elements, in a manner which prevents development of high point applied stress causing forces which can cause bag tearing while gripped bags are held and when they are released.
(6) Quick mounting and one step release of bags which eliminates the need for cords or other independent attachment devices, eg. clips etc.
(7) Minimal maintenance requirements.